


with nothing in our hands

by noyabeans (snowdrops)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Bickering, Established Relationship, Idiots in Love, Multi, Road Trips, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-04
Updated: 2017-03-04
Packaged: 2018-09-26 21:23:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9922694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowdrops/pseuds/noyabeans
Summary: This is how it works: Taichi drives, Kenji navigates and Kenjirou screams.Kenji digs around the small carry-on bag he hadn't bothered to stow away in the trunk, and pulls out a paper map with a flourish."No," Taichi's already saying before Kenji gets another word in."Yeah, no," Kenjirou echoes.





	

**Author's Note:**

> For [Oliver](http://wayfindertales.tumblr.com/).

It's an idea they've been playing around with for the better part of half a year - a quick escape before they all go off for college. Sure, they've all been accepted into Tokyo universities, and they'll be sharing an apartment there, but there'll always be a difference when there are college assignments and projects and responsibilities weighing on the back of their minds.  
  
A quick getaway together - to the city where they'll be living together for the next three years, before they actually move over - sounds like the perfect idea.  
  
At least, it did on paper.  
  
They're young and wild and adventurous, so instead of taking the high speed rail from Sendai to Tokyo, Kenji suggested they drive instead - Taichi and Kenjirou got their driving licences over winter break and while Kenji can't drive (yet) he's done enough navigating for his boyfriends when they take to the roads around Miyagi. He's already designated himself as navigator, for that matter, so it's not like Kenjirou and Taichi have much of a choice.  
  
So here they are, bags all packed for their overnight stay in Tokyo, in front of Kenjirou's house. Kenjirou's managed to wheedle his brother into loaning them his car for the weekend, promising him they'll be back by Sunday night.  
  
"Stay safe now," Kenjirou's brother, Kenta, says as he hands the keys to Kenjirou. "I want my car back in one piece."  
  
"Not me?" Kenjirou has the audacity to pout - he's always been close to his brother - and Kenta just chuckles.  
  
"Fine, fine, you too. Now hurry along."  
  
"I'll see you soon," Kenjirou says as he unlocks the trunk. "I'll lock the gate, so you can go now."  
  
Well, what can Kenji say? Kenjirou's never been good at subtlety. Kenta grins, ruffling Kenjirou's hair, and waves to the three of them before returning to the house.  
  
Taichi's already loading his backpack into the trunk, so Kenji follows suit and helps Kenjirou load his bag as well. "Navigator claims shotgun!" Kenji announces, and Taichi groans.  
  
"I hate the back seat," he complains. "You realise my legs are longer than yours, right?"  
  
"You'll be sitting in the front once you take the wheel," Kenji says, waving away Taichi's protests and pulling open the passenger door. Kenjirou's already planted himself in the driver's seat, checking through the packing list and itinerary they've drawn up. More specifically, that Kenjirou drew up and Taichi and Kenji agreed to.  
  
"Then I get to choose the music," Taichi says as he opens the back door and clambers in, settling himself in the middle of the back seat.  
  
"You two can't stop quarrelling, can you?" Kenjirou mutters. "We'll have to use your phone to play music, Taichi. I'm using my phone for Google Maps."  
  
"Oh, speaking of which!" Kenji says, unable to help the smug grin that makes its way onto his face. "I thought we should do this trip the old-fashioned way, you know? No Google Maps and its automatic navigator!"  
  
"What." That's Kenjirou, staring at him, flabbergasted.  
  
Kenji digs around the small carry-on bag he hadn't bothered to stow away in the trunk, and pulls out a paper map with a flourish.  
  
"No," Taichi's already saying before Kenji gets another word in.  
  
"Yeah, no," Kenjirou echoes.  
  
Kenji knew this would happen, so he's already got his best Persuasive Voice on. "But why not? You gotta admit it gets boring just relying on our phones for everything! And anyway, since when have I ever led you guys astray?"  
  
Kenjirou gives him a not-so-subtle side eye. That boy really needs to work on subtlety. Taichi just sighs. “You’re not going to give in, are you?”

The smirk on Kenji’s face is answer enough.

“We’re never going to get anywhere if we don’t move off,” Taichi groans, kicking his shoes off and stretching them forward.

Kenjirou gives Kenji another _look_ , then relents, just as Kenji knew he would. If Taichi’s fine with it, Kenjirou usually gives in pretty quickly. “Taichi, music?” he asks, and in the same breath adds, “Did you two take everything we need, because I’m not turning back once we leave Osaki.”

They both make sounds of agreement, Taichi reaching over to plug his phone into the audio jack as Kenjirou reverses down the driveway.

 

The journey from Osaki to Tokyo _theoretically_ takes four and a half hours, give or take.

This is the plan: they’ll drop by Sendai to pick up some snacks for the journey ahead, then it’ll be full speed ahead to Kanuma City in Tochigi Prefecture for lunch break. After lunch, they’ll drive straight to Tokyo, and reach there at around 2 in the afternoon.

Kenjirou’s planned it all carefully - they’ll go and find accommodation around the Shibuya area when they reach Tokyo, check in and then head out for a night of fun. Since they have a car, they’ll be able to get around the different tourist spots more conveniently; he’s already listed down some places for them to visit. If they can find the time to, he’s also hoping they can get a headstart on apartment hunting and maybe get a first look at their new schools.

It’s going to be a relaxing weekend, just the three of them, a car, the bags on their backs and the road to their soon-to-be home. They’re right on schedule, Kenjirou thinks, as they leave the Osaki main road for the highway.

The clock reads 07:45am.

 

Okay, _okay_. So Kenjirou thought wrong. How would he have known that dropping by Sendai to pick up snacks would end up taking close to an hour? A voice at the back of his mind whispers: _you should have known_ , but Kenjirou squashes it viciously.

It isn’t his fault that Kenji insisted on being picky on the brand of sour gummies because his usual was out of stock. Neither is it his fault that Taichi couldn’t decide which flavour of chips he wanted - who eats _cheese_ -flavoured chips, what the hell? Give Kenjirou fish-flavoured ones any day.

Nor is it his fault, of course, that there was such a huge snacks aisle and more snacks than he’s ever seen in his life - bless the one who invented prawn crackers! And sweet potato sticks! And wasabi seaweed!

And it definitely isn’t his fault that he complained when they made him choose only two packs of snacks (not including the dried cuttlefish that he’ll protect with his life, back off, Taichi). Obviously he would, right? It isn’t _fair_ that Kenji got to pick _three packs_.

Anyway, the fact of the matter still remains: they are now a good half hour behind schedule on their journey towards Kanuma, and their wallets are also a good deal emptier than they prepared for. With their newly acquired loots, however, the back seat looks suspiciously cramped for Taichi now.

Shaking his head in resignation and more than a bit of gratefulness that he’d insisted they head out early, Kenjirou exits the carpark.

“Next stop, Kanuma City,” Kenji announces in his best pilot voice, whipping out his paper map and placing his feet on the dashboard as he does so. Kenjirou scrunches his nose in disgust at the utter lack of civility that is condensed in the form of Kenji’s existence in the passenger seat.

“Onward 500 metres!”

Kenjirou rolls his eyes, but follows the directions anyway.

 

  
Taichi’s got a whole playlist set up for the trip, but they spend most of the time talking over the music - on mundane journeys like this, Kenji’s talkativeness makes for good entertainment. Kenji’s halfway through a comment about calculating the amount of time it would take them to drive all the way to Hokkaido, when he pauses and stares accusingly at the audio system where it’s just started playing a new song.

“Oh my god, Country Roads?” he gasps in mock horror. “You’re so old-fashioned, Taichi.”

Of course, Taichi takes offence to that, leaning forward so his face is level with Kenji’s. “It’s not a road trip until you sing Country Roads!”

Kenjirou just snickers. “Weren’t you the one going on and on about being traditional and using a map for navigation? You are literally the _last_ person I want to hear complaining about being old-fashioned.”

Kenji, for his part, blatantly ignores Kenjirou’s _very_ valid point. “Keep up with the times, Taichi.”

Two can play at this game. Taichi’s always been good at ignoring Kenji - unlike Kenjirou, which is why the other always ends up in stupid petty arguments with Kenji - and so instead chooses to sing along to John Denver at the top of his lungs.

Kenji cringes, and Kenjirou just grins, the small, triumphant smile that appears every time they win a match lighting up his features, and joins in with the singing. Taichi makes it a point to sing especially loudly in Kenji’s ear.

 

“It’s 11am and we’re fast approaching Kanuma,” Kenji’s saying when Taichi wakes up. Apparently, he’d fallen asleep sometime through the drive, lullabied to sleep somewhere between Kenji and Kenjirou dueting Utada Hikaru and jamming to Uverworld. “Kenjirou’s at the wheel, going at 80kmh, eyes on the road and wind in his hair, how handsome! And in the back, we have the resident Sleeping Beaut- oh, he’s awake now.”

“Why are you filming me?” Taichi asks blearily, still on the precipice between full wakefulness and dreamland. He has just enough presence of mind to register the phone being pointed at his face.

“I’m doing a vlog, of course. That’s a video blog, in case you’re still living in the Stone Age.” Really, the answer shouldn’t even surprise Taichi at this point. Kenji’s always been unpredictable and capricious, with all sorts of new ideas hidden up his sleeves.

“I figured, but why?” Taichi yawns.

Kenji shrugs, casting a fond look at Kenjirou, whose eyes remain fixedly on the road as asphalt and trees and sky rush by them. “Chikara suggested it.”

Kenjirou turns at that, and squints at Kenji suspiciously. “Karasuno’s captain? Ennoshita?”

Taichi knows what he’s thinking: Is Kenji _fraternizing_ with the enemy?

“Yeah,” Kenji says, acting oblivious to the scrutinizing gaze Kenjirou’s pinning on him. “We were talking on Facebook a couple days back and he mentioned that he went on a grad trip to Osaka with his team. They did a vlog too, and it made pretty good memories, so I thought why not?”

“Amazing,” Taichi says as he sits up. “Kenji’s been inspired.”

Kenji laughs then, still holding the phone, its camera still directed towards Taichi. “You two are more inspiring than you think you are.”

Taichi’s heart maybe skips a little even though he knows Kenji’s only half-serious - he’s about to say something to that along the lines of what a _sap_ , Kenji - when Kenji adds, almost as an afterthought, “I bet our vlog will get more likes on Facebook than Chikara’s.”

“Your true intentions are showing,” Kenjirou snorts, shoving him lightly. Taichi laughs.

 

They turn off the highway and into Kanuma around half an hour later. Kenji’s the first one out of the car; his bones crack as he stands up fully and stretches for the first time in two hours.

Lunch, according to Kenjirou’s itinerary, is at a famous soba shop in Kanuma - thank god for Kenjirou and his meticulous planning, because Kenji’s _starving_.

He’s got one arm slung around Kenjirou’s shoulders and a hand around Taichi’s wrist as he pulls them towards the soba shop - Kenjirou looks like he wants to complain, but apparently bites his tongue and allows himself to be tugged along anyway.

Needless to say, lunch is great. Kenji steals soba from Taichi’s bowl and fights with Kenjirou over the last piece of gyoza (and soy sauce, but that’s a story for another day involving them bickering over whose soy sauce tastes better despite Taichi’s very calm and logical reasoning that the soy sauce came from the _same bottle_ ), but it’s a good meal, and they come out of the shop sated and considerably less famished.

 

“Turn left in 300m,” Kenji says in a bored voice as he traces his finger on the map. Taichi’s starting to get a nagging sense of unease - it didn’t take them much longer than twenty minutes to get to the soba shop from the highway, but it’s been fifty minutes since they left the shop and the highway is still nowhere in sight.

“Are you sure you’re reading the map right?” Kenjirou says, frowning at Kenji as he rounds the bend. It’s as if he’s read Taichi’s mind (sometimes Taichi suspects that Kenjirou really can read minds). “We should have been on the highway a long time ago.”

Kenji just waves his hand dismissively. “Please, have more faith in me!”

Taichi obviously doesn’t have much faith in Kenji, so he pulls out his phone and calls up Google Maps.

Well _shit_ , he thinks, slapping his forehead with a loud sigh.

“Kenjirou, can you find somewhere to pull over?”

How do you tell your driver and navigator that they’ve been travelling in the exact opposite direction of the highway for the past hour? Not when the car’s still moving, obviously.

“What, do you need to pee?” Kenjirou snaps.

Taichi rolls his eyes. So _temperamental_ , Kenjirou. “No,” he says patiently. “I just want your foot off the gas.”

Kenji looks wary. “What are you doing, Taichi?” he asks as Kenjirou pulls over at a pick-up point.

“Well,” Taichi says, because there’s no other way to put it. “We’re an hour away from the highway, in the wrong direction.”

To say that the glare Kenjirou shoots Kenji is poisonous is a drastic understatement. If looks could kill, Taichi would be a first-hand witness of homicide. When Kenjirou’s gaze drops to the map in Kenji’s hand, the glare actually intensifies.

“Ken- _ji_ ,” he says, biting out the syllables with such force Kenji actually recoils for a moment. “Your map is _upside down_.”

The whole situation is so unbelievable that Taichi can’t help the snort that escapes him. It’s just like them to be lost in the middle of an unfamiliar city, because one of them read a map upside down.

Laughter is infectious, it turns out, because Kenji stops being guilty a grand total of two seconds after Taichi snorts, and begins chortling as well, clutching at Kenjirou’s arm as he tries to calm himself down. Kenjirou throws him a look of disdain and tries to pry him off, but both Taichi and Kenji know it’s just a front. Already, the corners of his mouth are twitching in his stubborn attempt to not smile.

“What the _fuck_ , Kenji,” Kenjirou says at last when they’ve all calmed down somewhat from their inexplicable laughing fits. “We were supposed to get to Tokyo in an hour from now.”

Kenji, once again, fails to look sorry that he’s totally screwed up Kenjirou’s itinerary. He’s already scouring the map, as though searching for something. When he looks up, he’s grinning in the trademark I’m Planning Something way that both Kenjirou and Taichi are familiar with.

“No,” Kenjirou says. “I don’t trust that look on your face, it’s already gotten us lost as it is.”

“You’re no fun, Kenjirou!” Kenji exclaims in mock dismay, but then he smiles even brighter, waving the map around. “Since we’re already here, let’s go explore this place, hey?”

“Our destination is _Tokyo_ ,” Taichi hurries to remind him, sensing that Kenjirou’s about to implode from frustration.

Kenji shrugs. “That doesn’t mean we can’t stop to smell the roses while we’re on the way to Tokyo, does it?”

 

 _Fine_ , so Kenjirou gave in to Kenji’s whims and fancies _again_. This really happens too much for Kenjirou’s comfort, to be honest. But it’s true, who’s ever thought of exploring Kanuma City when Tokyo is so close by? (Kenji, obviously.)

Kanuma City isn’t Tokyo, as they soon discover, but it isn’t Osaki either - where Osaki’s famous for its parks and nature reserves and museums, Kanuma’s littered with shrines and rivers and sprawling temple grounds, which are, okay, really gorgeous.

Gorgeous enough that Kenjirou maybe forgets about being angry at Kenji for ruining his plans, because wow, the photographs he’s getting more than make up for it. Kenjirou’s always regarded himself as more of a small-town boy, and Kanuma is a nice change in pace without being totally overwhelming.

Of course, it isn’t long before they discover the amusement park - more like, Taichi’s surfing the net on his phone and chances upon it - and despite having only three hours until park closing hours, Kenjirou insists that they make a detour there because, well, _Koizora_ was filmed there, and for how cliched that movie plot was, Kenjirou counts it among his all-time favourites.

Yeah, call him cheesy, whatever. Shut up and take the goddamn photo, Kenji.

He gets his mandatory tourist shot with the ferris wheel in the background, then pulls Kenji and Taichi in for a group selfie. Kenji, for all his lousy navigation skills and shitty personality, is a skilled selfie-taker, so Kenjirou is decidedly satisfied when he checks the photograph on his phone.

 

But what fun would an amusement park be, if they didn’t get on some rides, right? Taichi’s a sucker for rollercoasters, and it only takes a bit of coercing and (a lot of) promises of sour gummies and shirasu before he manages to persuade Kenji and Kenjirou to go on the red coaster that has five huge spirals.

The queue snakes all the way out, but for a rollercoaster ride, Taichi’s willing to spare some time.

The waiting pays off, of course.

The ride’s _amazing_ , knocking the breath out of Taichi as they plunge towards the ground, Kenji predictably screeching as they do so.

Kenjirou, however, is silent, the only reaction he offers being the tight squeeze on Taichi’s hand. Taichi can’t look over at him, because they’re going up, hanging upside down, and zooming down again so fast Taichi distantly thanks the heavens that he’d chosen to not eat any snacks when they were in the car, because otherwise he’d definitely be throwing up chips in mid-air. (The thought is equal parts horrifying and fascinating, Taichi thinks.)

When they finally make it down to the ground, which seems questionably solid at this point, Kenjirou literally stumbles into Taichi’s arms.

“Fuck you, Taichi,” he moans. “I’m never doing that again. I can’t feel my legs.”

“Not even for shirasu?” Taichi tries, reaching an arm around Kenjirou to hold him upright. On the other side, Kenji doesn’t seem much better off, grimacing as he helps to support Kenjirou’s weight. At least the screaming must have hurt his throat, because he’s keeping relatively quiet.

“Not even for shirasu,” Kenjirou confirms.

Taichi feels guilty. Just a little bit.

So he offers to drive - slowly, because Kenji claims that every turn makes him feel like he’s launching into another sudden drop on the rollercoaster. Taichi doesn’t know if he’s kidding, but he does know that he doesn’t want his boyfriends throwing up all over the car.

“Do we head to Tokyo now, or what?” he asks the silence. They’re still two hours away from Tokyo, maybe a bit more since they’re pretty deep into Kanuma City at this point, but if they so command it, Taichi’s willing to drive all that way for them.

After all, he did just bribe them to go for the ride of their lives. It’s only fair that he returns them the favour.

 

Just the thought of travelling another two hours makes Kenji’s stomach churn even harder than it already is, and one glance at Kenjirou, who’s slumped in the back seat, tells him that the other is no better.

“Spare us,” he whines - whines, because damn it, Taichi. “Let’s just stay in Kanuma tonight.”

Taichi flashes him a toothy grin, before pulling over on the side of the road. “Ryokan or hotel?”

“Whichever’s cheaper,” Kenjirou says, finally forcing himself into a sitting position. “And I sure as hell hope you’re gonna make good on the shirasu promise, Taichi.”

“Ryokan, then,” Taichi decides, tapping a few buttons on his phone.

The wind rushes in when Kenji winds down the window - it’s cool outside, and his hair is quickly ruffled up by it. From the back seat, Kenjirou grumbles: “Why’d we have air-conditioning if you’re gonna let it cool the air outside?”

Kenji switches off the air-conditioning just to spite him. Kenjirou _tsk_ s, but apparently is still feeling queasy because he doesn’t do anything other than to wind down the back windows too. Taichi’s started driving off now, Google Maps directing him towards what Kenji supposes is a ryokan in the middle of the city.

Besides the sound of the engine and the rushing wind, it’s silent for a bit inside the car, and Kenji’s torn between keeping quiet and just talking.

His stomach’s feeling a bit more settled now, so he chooses the latter.

“You’re paying for the room,” he tells Taichi, grinning wickedly when the other slides a look at him.

“With one futon, right?” Taichi asks, eyebrow raised in silent challenge. The car slows to a stop - it’s a red light.

In the back, Kenjirou makes a noise that sounds like a stifled laugh. “Taichi, you jerk. I call dibs.”  

There’s a pause as Taichi shrugs and glances at Kenjirou in the rearview mirror in mock contemplation. “You can share with me, and Kenji can take the floor... Provided we can even get a room.”

“Don’t jinx it,” Kenji says, reaching over to give Taichi a gentle shove, but his traitorous lips are curling into a smile anyway. “And stop making decisions for me.”

 

Thankfully, the ryokan _does_ have an empty room for them, and they check in without much hassle. There are three futon rolls on the floor, and Kenjirou’s about to make his way to them, probably to unroll and set them up, when Kenji grabs him by the wrist.

“What?” Kenjirou asks, brows pulling together as he stares at Kenji in suspicion.

“I’m too hungry to let you unroll the futon,” Kenji says with a straight face, and Kenjirou thinks his brain might have just short-circuited.

“Are you trying to proposition me into _letting you eat me on the floor_?” The words are out of Kenjirou’s mouth before he can stop them, which he immediately regrets because Taichi promptly bursts out laughing.

Kenji stares at him for a moment, looking baffled, before confusion is replaced with the familiar smirk.

“That wasn’t quite what I meant, but if you’re willing, I don’t mind.”

If it were anybody else, maybe there would be static electricity between them as they levelled their gazes at one another, or maybe the air would be thick and heavy with unresolved sexual tension. As it is, however, them being _them_ means the moment abruptly ends when Taichi’s stomach growls.

“Save that for after dinner, please,” Taichi says, vanishing the last vestiges of their exchange. Always so unfazed, Taichi is. He clearly has his priorities in the right place.

Well, then so be it. Kenjirou switches tracks easily too.

“Shirasu,” he says with a broad grin.

“Shit,” Taichi says. “I forgot about that.”

“Luckily for you,” Kenjirou says, “I didn’t.”

 

It’s been a long day, and honestly, Taichi wants nothing more than to just fall asleep where he’s currently slouched against the wall, Kenjirou leaning against him as he snoozes. But it’s disgusting to fall asleep all dirty, so he’s holding out until it’s his turn to shower - he’s last in line, because he’s letting Kenjirou go first.

To kill time, he’s using Kenji’s phone to send photographs from their day out to the group chat as Kenji showers. Through the walls he can hear water splashing, and Kenji singing something, loud enough for him to make out a melody but too soft to hear any actual words. It sounds like that song by that Korean boy group - Tohoshinki, was it?

Beside him, Kenjirou stirs as Kenji yodels an especially loud verse, and clicks his tongue.

“What’s taking him so _long_ ,” Kenjirou grumbles. It hasn’t really been that long, actually, but Kenjirou gets grumpy when he’s tired. Luckily, Taichi himself has been on the receiving end of grumpy-Kenjirou complaints more than once, especially during training camps, so he knows exactly what to do to nip the problem in the bud.

Kenjirou’s about to say something else, when Taichi puts down the phone and pulls Kenjirou in towards himself, their teeth clacking as he kisses him. It’s a tried and tested way of efficiently shutting Kenjirou up, although a tad bit forceful.

When they finally pull away, Taichi placing a final, light nip on Kenjirou’s lower lip, the sound of running water has stopped.

“He’s done,” Taichi smirks - Kenjirou’s cheeks are dusted pink, and he looks a little winded. It never fails to amaze Taichi how whipped Kenjirou always looks after they kiss, no matter how many times it’s happened before. “Your turn now.”

As Kenji exits the bathroom, dressed in the white kimono provided by the ryokan, he passes by Kenjirou, whose clothes are held tightly in hand. Taichi follows Kenji’s gaze as he gives Kenjirou a quick onceover, before leaning in to whisper something in Kenjirou’s ear that Taichi can’t quite make out.

Whatever he says makes Kenjirou flush a brilliant red and snap a “Fuck you” before he enters the bathroom, shutting the door behind him a little harder than is necessary.

The ends of Kenji’s damp hair stick to his neck as he crosses the room to keep his dirty clothes away.

“What did you say?” Taichi asks, bemused.

Kenji turns around, and the scheming glint in his eye is the only warning that Taichi gets before Kenji’s striding towards him, planting two strong hands on his shoulders and kissing him.

Kenji tastes like mint and smells like citrus, and he’s so close that Taichi can feel the warmth from the bath still rolling off his skin. It’s rough and gentle all at once, and Taichi thinks he might be close to melting. It suddenly feels incredibly difficult to remember how to breathe.

But Kenji, being the prick that he is, pulls away all too fast.

“You’re smelly,” he says, and Taichi half-heartedly tries to kick him in the groin in protest.

“I wouldn’t be if you’d just showered a bit quicker.”

 

When Taichi finally makes it out of the shower, the futons are all unrolled, laid out neatly next to one another. Both Kenji and Kenjirou are lying down - Kenjirou’s curled up into Kenji’s side, his breathing even.

“He’s too tired for any action,” Kenji laughs, fingers running through Kenjirou’s hair casually as his other hand taps away at his phone, presumably texting someone. Ever the social butterfly, even when on holiday.

Taichi settles down on Kenji’s other side, flinging his arm across Kenji’s chest. “Maybe he wouldn’t have been so tired if we’d made it to Tokyo instead.”

“Says the one who insisted we take a rollercoaster,” Kenji jokes. His voice is quiet, but Taichi is close enough to feel the gentle rumbling in his chest as he speaks.

Taichi reaches up with his other hand to jab him on the nose. “Says the one who got us lost in the first place. So we’re still going to Tokyo tomorrow, right? I was planning to ask after we showered, but Kenjirou’s already asleep…”

“Of course we are, we’ve come so far. Kenjirou would be seriously disappointed if we don’t.” Kenji says. He holds up the phone above their prone forms, and: “Hey, Taichi, look at the camera.”

“Are you for real,” Taichi says, but smiles anyway. On Kenji’s other side, Kenjirou lets out a little snore, oblivious to the selfie that Kenji’s just taken. “Who are you sending that to, anyway?”

“Oh, Chikara. Just wanted to traumatise him a little.”

“You are the _worst_ ,” Taichi says, emphasising the last word.

“Nah, I’m not,” Kenji retorts, before gently prying Taichi’s arm off of himself so that he can get up and plug his phone into the wall charger. Taichi bemoans the sudden cold for a while, but Kenji just clicks off the lights of the room and he’s back again, a strong solid mass of warmth. “I set my alarm for 6am, by the way.”

Taichi can feel his lips forming a pout, because it’s already midnight and Kenji is really cruel.

“Goodnight, Kenji,” he mumbles instead.

 

Kenji only realises that this is all a huge plot by his boyfriends when he’s woken up in the middle of the night by someone drilling a hole in the wall - except the wall is his ear and the someone is his dearest boyfriend, Kenjirou, snoring like the world is ending.

That’s probably not even a proper way of describing a snore, but it’s something like 3am and he’s suddenly become acutely aware of the leg planted rudely across his body that doesn’t belong to him.

Kenji definitely did not sign up for this, he thinks as Kenjirou lets out another loud snore and Taichi turns over so that he’s got half an arm under Kenji’s back - how??? - and a leg jabbing into Kenji’s crotch.

Very unsexy, and extremely uncomfortable. 10/10 would not recommend, Kenji’s sleep-hazed brain supplies.

He’s going to need coffee when they wake up.

 

Five consecutive phone alarms and two cups of coffee later, they’re back on the road. Kenji’s snacking on chips in the back seat as they turn out onto the freeway, Google Maps’ navigator barking out directions in his stead.

 

The tall buildings of the capital are just coming into view, light glinting off the spine of one of them. They’ll probably reach Tokyo in less than half an hour.

Taichi’s humming along to the music - Deep Purple, what a relic! - and in the front seat, Kenjirou is sleeping.

It’s quiet, but at the same time not.

And in the silence, Kenji thinks: They’re sitting in a metal chunk on wheels, speeding at 100kmh towards Tokyo. Tokyo looks like skyscrapers and glass, and it feels a little like -

Not home. Not yet, at least.

It does, however, feel like a glimpse of the future.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from [Even with nothing in our hands](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXpGWhdwXuo) by RAM WIRE.
> 
> Shoutout to [Safyre](http://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphyreLily/pseuds/SapphyreLily), [Elly](http://archiveofourown.org/users/BrokenFics/pseuds/BrokenFics), [Tsucchi](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsucchi/pseuds/Tsucchi) and [Deborah](http://sassikawa.tumblr.com/) for all the help!
> 
> And of course, the first fic in this tag is a true example of dumbasses being salty dumbasses, who are very much in love with each other.
> 
> [tumblr (rielity)](https://rielity.tumblr.com/) | [twitter (noyabeans)](https://twitter.com/noyabeans)


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